The present invention relates in general to interior trim covers for vehicles and, more specifically, to a trim cover for an airbag mounted to a roof rail of a vehicle.
A vehicle commonly includes a roof. For some vehicles, such as sport utility vehicles, the roof may be removable from the vehicle. When the roof is removed, the vehicle may be driven in an open air environment—i.e., a passenger space of the vehicle is directly exposed to any conditions in which the vehicle is present. For example, the passenger space may be exposed to inclement weather, extreme temperatures, and dust or dirt.
Horizontal roof rail assemblies support the roof when it is installed on the vehicle. The roof rails, in turn, are supported by vertical pillar structures. Typically, the roof rail assemblies include energy absorbing material, such as foam, for occupant safety. Alternatively, side curtain airbags may be provided as part of the roof rail assemblies. Once deployed, the airbags typically obstruct visibility for the driver. This can render the vehicle undrivable in an off road environment where assistance may not be readily available. Furthermore, any trim covers for the airbags in the roof rail assemblies would need to withstand the conditions present in the open air environment. Thus, it would be desirable to have weatherproof trim covers for the airbags that allow the airbags to be concealed after deployment while achieving low component costs and simple, reliable assembly to the vehicle.